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How to order power for an exhibition

21st June 2017 | by StagecraftUK

When it comes to ordering power for an exhibition, you might just think ‘oh I just need a standard socket right’? WRONG… As most people refer to these as a household socket, they are not going to be specific to what you need.
Here are your top tips on how to order power:

1. Power Requirements
All machines whether it is a laptop, coffee machine, or water pump should tell you what power they pull. When ordering your power for an exhibition, checking your machines is the first step you should take, as this will give you a clear indication of what you need to order. As an additional quick tip though here are the basic power requirements for the most used items:

2. Location of Sockets
Where you want your sockets placed on your stand can determine what type of socket you will need. For instance if you have 6 computers lined up in a row, you only need to order 3x 500w twin sockets. However this would not work if they were scattered around the stand, that arrangement would require 6x 500w sockets.

3. Planning
Stand Plans are essential to electricians, and you will always be asked to provide one. The reason for this is so we can have the sockets placed in the correct location before you arrive, allowing you to build your stand without being interrupted. Not only this, but it helps us know if you have ordered the correct amount of power or not.

4. Extentions
In conjunction with ordering power, 4 way extension leads are a topic that should be addressed for multiple reasons. When ordering a socket that you will be plugging a 4way extension lead into, you need to understand how much power each of the items will pull. For instance if you have 4x items, each pulling 500w, you will need to order a 2000w socket. The next thing to understand about extension leads, is that whilst it may seem cost effective to order one socket and then have multiple extension leads plugged into one another to create a run of sockets – aka daisy chaining-, it is very dangerous and is not permitted in our venue. Lastly, PAT testing is required if the extension lead is not brand new. Having the extension leads PAT tested highlights whether they are suitable for use.

5. Order Early!
The earlier you get your order in the better for a whole host of reasons. You won’t be left with that nagging feeling that you have forgotten something; the administrator and electricians will have had your order placed and ready to go when you arrive, there won’t be a last minute rush to get your order in, and most of all you won’t be hit with the late fee’s. Like any exhibition, if you do forget, or need to order addition power, there will usually be a service desk you can go to, to order your power but again this could result in a late fee.

So the overall top tip for this article is check your machines electrical needs and get the order in as early as you can!

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